Descent of Elizabeth II from William I
This list shows the most senior line of direct royal lineal descent to the current monarch of the United Kingdom from William the Conqueror of England. Each person on the list is the son or daughter of the person above him or her on the list. There are many other more junior lines of descent of the family (some of which are shorter), but the crown, at least in theory, descends only through the most senior line. Due to extinct lines, large parts of entire royal houses (Lancaster, Tudor, Stuart) are bypassed in the current most senior line. The numbers can be used to calculate the number of generations between two individuals on this list, but they may have shorter links (notably that of George III to George VI through the latter's mother). The direct royal line from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II Monarchs not in the direct royal line, and why The number after each monarch is their generation number (it corresponds to the number on the list above and the list below). *William II (2), died without issue. The line passes through his younger brother, Henry I *Stephen (3), he was from a more junior branch of the family; the line passes through his uncle of the senior line, Henry I *Richard I (5), died without issue. The line passes through his younger brother, John *Richard II (11), died without issue. The line passes through his grandfather's younger son, Lionel, Duke of Clarence *Henry IV (11); the House of Lancaster was from a more junior branch of the family; the line passes through his uncle of the senior branch, Lionel, Duke of Clarence *Henry V (12), the House of Lancaster was from a more junior branch of the family; the line passes through his great uncle of the senior branch, Lionel, Duke of Clarence *Henry VI (13), the House of Lancaster was from a more junior branch of the family; the line passes through his great great uncle of the senior branch, Lionel, Duke of Clarence *Edward V (16), the line passes through his sister, Elizabeth of York *Richard III (15), the line passes through his elder brother's daughter, Elizabeth of York *Henry VII (14), he is from a junior branch of the family. His wife, Elizabeth of York, is from the senior branch, and the line passes through her and then through their daughter, Margaret Tudor *Henry VIII (17), all heirs died without issue. The line passes through his sister, Margaret Tudor *Edward VI (18), died without issue. The line passes through his aunt, Margaret Tudor *Mary I (18), died without issue. The line passes through her aunt, Margaret Tudor *Elizabeth I (18), died without issue. The line passes through her aunt, Margaret Tudor *Charles I (21), the line passes through his sister, Elizabeth, Electress Palatine *Charles II (22), the line passes through his aunt, Elizabeth, Electress Palatine *James II (22), the line passes through his aunt, Elizabeth, Electress Palatine *Mary II (23), the line passes through her great aunt, Elizabeth, Electress Palatine *William III (23), he was from a junior branch of the family and a cousin of his wife Mary II; the line passes through his great aunt, Elizabeth, Electress Palatine *Anne (23), the line passes through her great aunt, Elizabeth, Electress Palatine *George IV (27), the line passes through his younger brother, Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn *William IV (27), the line passes through his younger brother, Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn *Edward VIII (31), the line passes through his younger brother, George VI Monarchs of each generation This table shows the generation of each monarch based on their descent from William I via the royal line. The generational jump between Henry VII and Henry VIII is an interesting case shown on this list. Henry VIII is the son of Henry VII (generation 14 through an illegitimate junior line of John of Gaunt) as well as the son of Elizabeth of York (generation 16 through the senior Lionel, Duke of Clarence line). Henry VIII is counted as generation 17 because the royal line passes through his mother, who is of the senior line. This process will continue in the future. Prince William of Wales, if he becomes king, will add a line to Charles II, from whom he is descended through his mother Lady Diana. #William I # William II, Henry I #Stephen, Empress Matilda # Henry II # Richard Lionheart, John Lackland # Henry III #Edward I #Edward II #Edward III #none #Richard II, Henry IV # Henry V # Henry IV #Henry VII #Edward IV, Richard III #Edward V #Henry VIII #Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I #Lady Jane Grey #James I # Charles I #Charles II, James II #Mary II, William III, Anne, George I # George II #none # George III # George IV, William IV # Victoria # Edward VII # George V # Edward VIII, George VI # Elizabeth II Genealogical relationships to Elizabeth II The closest known relationships between Elizabeth and each king or queen of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom are given below. Descent of Elizabeth II from other royal lines The generation numbering of the primary list above is maintained in the lines below for comparison purposes. The last person listed on each of the lines belows is an English monarch listed on the primary list above, and the line continues from that point down to Elizabeth II following the primary list above. The descent from the Saxon kings The descent through the West Saxon royal line This list shows the joining of the royal families of England, the West Saxon kings descended from Alfred the Great and the Norman kings. Empress Matilda (Maud), grand daughter of William I (Norman), great-great-grand-daughter of Edmund II (Saxon), is the first person to unite the families in this line. Her son, Henry II, is the first monarch descended from both these families. :-6. Alfred the Great :-5. Edward the Elder :-4. Edmund I :-3. Edgar :-2. Ethelred II (Ethelred the Unready) :-1. Edmund II (Edmund Ironside) : 0. Edward the Exile : 1. Saint Margaret of Scotland : 2. Edith of Scotland : 3. Empress Matilda (Maud) : 4. Henry II Alternative descent from Alfred the Great This is not a royal line, but is a closer relationship of the earliest Norman kings to the previous dominant line of kings in England. William I married Matilda of Flanders, who was descended from Alfred the Great's daughter Aelfthryth. This means that Henry I is a descendant of Alfred the Great through this line. The descent through Harold Godwinson (Harold II of England) The British royal house traces itself back to William, who took the throne by conquest, but Elizabeth is also descended from Harold Godwinson, the last crowned Saxon king who died fighting William at the Battle of Hastings. Harold's daughter Gytha escaped after the conquest and married Vladimir II Monomakh of Kievan Rus', thus preserving the Godwin bloodline. This line rejoins William the Conqueror's bloodline with King Edward III. :-6. Harold Godwinson :-5. Gytha of Wessex :-4. Mstislav I of Kiev :-3. Euphrosyne of Kiev :-2. Béla III of Hungary :-1. Andrew II of Hungary : 0. Violant of Hungary : 1. Isabella of Aragon : 2. Philip IV of France : 3. Isabella, Queen of England : 4. Edward III The descent from the Kings of Scotland Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, married into the Scottish royal family by marrying James IV of Scotland. Elizabeth II thus also descends from Kenneth MacAlpin, the semi-legendary first King of Scotland. :-5. Kenneth MacAlpin (Kenneth I) :-4. Constantine I :-3. Donald II :-2. Malcolm I :-1. Kenneth II :0. Malcolm II :1. Bethoc :2. Duncan I :3. Malcolm III :4. David I (the Saint) :5. Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon :6. David of Scotland :7. Isobel of Huntingdon :8. Robert de Brus :9. Robert de Brus :10. Robert I (the Bruce) :11. Marjorie Bruce :12. Robert II :13. Robert III :14. James I :15. James II :16. James III :17. James IV :18. James V :19. Mary, Queen of Scots :20. James VI (James I of England) The Merovingian descent through Charlemagne :-21. Merowig :-20. Childeric I :-19. Clovis I :-18. Theodoric I :-17. Theudebert I :-16. Theudebald :-15. Grimwald of Aquitaine :-14. Saint Itta :-13. Saint Begga :-12. Pepin the Fat :-11. Charles Martel (686-741) (illegitimate) :-10. Pepin the Short (714-768) :-9. Charlemagne (747-814) :-8. Pepin, King of Italy (773-810) :-7. Bernard, King of Italy (797-818) :-6. Pepin, Count of Vermandois (c815-?) :-5. Herbert I, Count of Vermandois (c848-907) :-4. Berengar of Bayeaux (?-?) :-3. Judicael Berengar (?-?) (disputed) :-2. Conan I of Rennes (927-992), Duke of Brittany :-1. Judith of Brittany (982-1017) : 0. Robert II, Duke of Normandy (c1000-1035) : 1. William I External links *RoyaList Online Category:British monarchy Category:Kinship and descent Category:Monarchs of England